The Apalachee girls soccer team’s great season came to a crushing end Tuesday night.
The Lady Wildcats, the No. 2 seed from GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA, hosted Dunwoody in the first round of state playoffs, but they needed more than home-field advantage to overcome the No. 3 seed from Region 7. They lost 2-1 in overtime after allowing a goal just 50 seconds into the second overtime period.
Apalachee (11-5-1), which entered the match ranked No. 8 in AAAAAA, struggled with possession for most of the match. Dunwoody clogged all passing lanes and always seemed to get the favorable bounce. Despite that, the Lady Wildcats only trailed 1-0 with five minutes left in the game. The only goal they allowed was from a corner kick midway through the first half.
With five minutes left in regulation, Skylar Gordon had the ball inside the box with the keeper away from the goal. Taylor Salvaggio ran to the top of the box and yelled for the ball. Gordon made the pass and Salvaggio drilled the shot into an almost empty net for the equalizer.
That goal re-energized the Lady Wildcats, who controlled the ball and had a few chances to score the game-winner.
But regulation ended with the match tied 1-1 instead. The Lady Wildcats continued to maintain possession for the first overtime period, but they still couldn’t score. Dunwoody began the second overtime with the ball, and less than minute into the period, the visiting Wildcats (9-7-2) scored on a bouncer that Emily Brooks couldn’t stop.
It was the first time in program history the Lady Wildcats had hosted a playoff match.
Dunwoody advances to the second round to face Creekview next week.
AHS Sports - Topics from April, 2018
Baseball: Wildcats drop season finale to Gainesville, finish year 15-13
The best season in program history for the Apalachee High School baseball team ended in tough fashion Friday as the Wildcats couldn’t hold an early six-run lead and lost 9-8 at Gainesville in the rubber game of a GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA series.
The Wildcats (15-13, 4-11 region) scored a run in the first on a Parker Miller RBI single and then got five more in the second on the strength of a two-run single by AJ Forbing and RBI double by Hunter Linhart to go up 6-0.
After Gainesville (20-8, 11-4) got back in it with five runs in the third, the Wildcats added a pair in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Miller and another double by Linhart. But the Red Elephants got one in the fourth, two in the sixth and won the game in the seventh on a two-out RBI single by Banks Griffith to get the win.
Linhart led the Wildcats at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three doubles and a pair of RBIs, while Forbing had two hits.
Gainesville is the No. 2 seed from Region 8 and will host Cambridge in the first round of the state playoffs beginning Thursday.
While they missed the playoffs, the Wildcats showed vast improvement under second-year coach Allan Bailey, winning a school-record 15 games and improving dramatically on a 4-22 finish from a year ago.
Linhart, a senior first baseman, was a solid cog in the middle of the lineup, hitting .434 with four homers and driving in 26 runs.
Fellow senior DJ Smith hit .386 with a homer and 17 RBIs while playing all 28 games at short.
The Wildcats also got solid performances from starting pitchers sophomore Hunter Parks (1-2, 3.44 ERA, 28 Ks in 40 2/3 innings), junior Alex Cook (2-1, 3.82 ERA, 60 Ks in 44 IP) and senior reliever Dawson Matherly (5-2, 2.20 ERA, 21 Ks in 28 2/3 IP).
The Wildcats (15-13, 4-11 region) scored a run in the first on a Parker Miller RBI single and then got five more in the second on the strength of a two-run single by AJ Forbing and RBI double by Hunter Linhart to go up 6-0.
After Gainesville (20-8, 11-4) got back in it with five runs in the third, the Wildcats added a pair in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Miller and another double by Linhart. But the Red Elephants got one in the fourth, two in the sixth and won the game in the seventh on a two-out RBI single by Banks Griffith to get the win.
Linhart led the Wildcats at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three doubles and a pair of RBIs, while Forbing had two hits.
Gainesville is the No. 2 seed from Region 8 and will host Cambridge in the first round of the state playoffs beginning Thursday.
While they missed the playoffs, the Wildcats showed vast improvement under second-year coach Allan Bailey, winning a school-record 15 games and improving dramatically on a 4-22 finish from a year ago.
Linhart, a senior first baseman, was a solid cog in the middle of the lineup, hitting .434 with four homers and driving in 26 runs.
Fellow senior DJ Smith hit .386 with a homer and 17 RBIs while playing all 28 games at short.
The Wildcats also got solid performances from starting pitchers sophomore Hunter Parks (1-2, 3.44 ERA, 28 Ks in 40 2/3 innings), junior Alex Cook (2-1, 3.82 ERA, 60 Ks in 44 IP) and senior reliever Dawson Matherly (5-2, 2.20 ERA, 21 Ks in 28 2/3 IP).
Track and Field: AHS girls win region title
The Apalachee girls track and field team made history Thursday, capturing the GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA championship, the first team track and field title in school history, on the third and final day of the region meet at R. Harold Harrison Stadium.
Apalachee finished with 171 points, well ahead of second-place Lanier (134). Winder-Barrow finished fifth with 85 points. On the boys side, Winder-Barrow finished fourth and Apalachee finished fifth.
The Apalachee girls got individual titles from Sierra Barnett in the long jump, the 4x100-meter relay team of Samira Barnett, Sierra Barnett, Tahlia Ferguson and Joanna Gross, the 4x400-meter relay team of Sierra Barnett, Ferguson, Destiny Gibbs and Gross, and Molly Silva in the 1,600-meter run.
Apalachee's Malik Wiggins won the boys high jump while Tucker Keadle won the boys pole vault.
For Winder-Barrow, Logan Cash won the boys discus, Breanna McNamara won the girls pole vault, Jaidon Turner won the boys long jump and Djangmah Narhmartey won the boys 800-meter run.
Both schools had several other top-four finishes that qualified for the Class AAAAAA sectionals, which will be held April 28 at Grovetown High School. Region 8 athletes will be competing against athletes from regions 1, 2 and 3.
The top eight in each event will advance to the state meet May 10-12 in Carrollton.
See more coverage in the April 25 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Apalachee finished with 171 points, well ahead of second-place Lanier (134). Winder-Barrow finished fifth with 85 points. On the boys side, Winder-Barrow finished fourth and Apalachee finished fifth.
The Apalachee girls got individual titles from Sierra Barnett in the long jump, the 4x100-meter relay team of Samira Barnett, Sierra Barnett, Tahlia Ferguson and Joanna Gross, the 4x400-meter relay team of Sierra Barnett, Ferguson, Destiny Gibbs and Gross, and Molly Silva in the 1,600-meter run.
Apalachee's Malik Wiggins won the boys high jump while Tucker Keadle won the boys pole vault.
For Winder-Barrow, Logan Cash won the boys discus, Breanna McNamara won the girls pole vault, Jaidon Turner won the boys long jump and Djangmah Narhmartey won the boys 800-meter run.
Both schools had several other top-four finishes that qualified for the Class AAAAAA sectionals, which will be held April 28 at Grovetown High School. Region 8 athletes will be competing against athletes from regions 1, 2 and 3.
The top eight in each event will advance to the state meet May 10-12 in Carrollton.
See more coverage in the April 25 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Baseball: AHS beats Gainesville, helps WBHS out
The Apalachee High School baseball team fell short of its goal for making the state playoffs for the first time in school history, but the program’s quick transformation into a winning team under second-year coach Allan Bailey has been remarkable.
The Wildcats clinched a winning season Tuesday, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh to rally past Gainesville, 3-2, in the first of a three-game GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA series to wrap up the 2018 campaign.
“Just give credit to our kids for battling hard,” said Bailey, whose team improved to 15-11 overall and 4-9 in region play after a 4-22 finish a year ago, and which beat county rival Winder-Barrow last Wednesday, 5-4 in eight innings.
“We’re in a tough region but we’re fighting and see the progress we’re making, but we’re still hungry for more,” Bailey said. “It’s just a great group of kids who know they each have a role to play. It took an army to get it done (Tuesday) but there are no selfish bodies on this team.
“It’s huge for us to get wins over Gainesville and Winder because it puts our program on the map and earns us respect.”
Down 2-1 in the seventh Tuesday, the Wildcats got a one-out single from DJ Smith, who then moved to second and third on passed balls and scored on Alex Cook’s RBI single.
Later in the inning with two outs, pinch-hitter Nate Hodnett battled back from an 0-2 count and ripped a single to left that plated courtesy runner Chris Miller with the eventual winning run.
Cook pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh to nail down the save for starter Hunter Parks, who allowed the two runs on seven hits, while walking just one and striking out five.
“He was a real bulldog on the mound for us tonight,” Bailey said of Parks.
In addition to picking up the save, Cook led Apalachee at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance and a pair of runs driven in.
Apalachee’s victory also helped its crosstown rival Winder-Barrow as it moved the Bulldoggs back into a tie for first place in the region with the Red Elephants with two games to play. Winder-Barrow holds the tie-breaker over Gainesville, having won two out of three during the season.
The sixth-ranked Bulldoggs (16-10, 9-4) fell 2-0 at Lanier on Monday. The lone runs came on a two-run single by Jake Ludwig off Brady House in the bottom of the third. That was enough support for Longhorn starter Zach Murray, who went the distance and surrendered just five hits while walking one and fanning seven. House gave up just four hits and struck out a pair while throwing six innings for the Bulldoggs.
Winder-Barrow had a chance to rally in the top of the seventh when Trevor Maddox hit a one-out double, but a line drive by House was snagged by second baseman Sergio Vargas, who flipped to shortstop Jadyn Jackson to double off Maddox and end the game.
As long as the Bulldoggs finish at least tied with Gainesville in the final standings, they will win their second straight region title. The Bulldoggs were scheduled to host Lanier in the second game of the series at 5:55 p.m. Wednesday and will then be back on the road Friday at 5:55 p.m. They can clinch the title Wednesday with a win and another Apalachee win. Just one win over the Longhorns will at least allow the Bulldoggs to host the first round of the state playoffs, which begin April 26. Winder-Barrow wraps up its regular season Saturday with a non-region game at Heritage-Conyers at 1 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats will be looking to play spoiler over the final two games Wednesday and Friday.
“That’s our goal,” Bailey said. “We’re going to give them our best shot, and win or lose, we’re going to play the game the right way and hold our heads high.”
The Wildcats clinched a winning season Tuesday, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh to rally past Gainesville, 3-2, in the first of a three-game GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA series to wrap up the 2018 campaign.
“Just give credit to our kids for battling hard,” said Bailey, whose team improved to 15-11 overall and 4-9 in region play after a 4-22 finish a year ago, and which beat county rival Winder-Barrow last Wednesday, 5-4 in eight innings.
“We’re in a tough region but we’re fighting and see the progress we’re making, but we’re still hungry for more,” Bailey said. “It’s just a great group of kids who know they each have a role to play. It took an army to get it done (Tuesday) but there are no selfish bodies on this team.
“It’s huge for us to get wins over Gainesville and Winder because it puts our program on the map and earns us respect.”
Down 2-1 in the seventh Tuesday, the Wildcats got a one-out single from DJ Smith, who then moved to second and third on passed balls and scored on Alex Cook’s RBI single.
Later in the inning with two outs, pinch-hitter Nate Hodnett battled back from an 0-2 count and ripped a single to left that plated courtesy runner Chris Miller with the eventual winning run.
Cook pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh to nail down the save for starter Hunter Parks, who allowed the two runs on seven hits, while walking just one and striking out five.
“He was a real bulldog on the mound for us tonight,” Bailey said of Parks.
In addition to picking up the save, Cook led Apalachee at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance and a pair of runs driven in.
Apalachee’s victory also helped its crosstown rival Winder-Barrow as it moved the Bulldoggs back into a tie for first place in the region with the Red Elephants with two games to play. Winder-Barrow holds the tie-breaker over Gainesville, having won two out of three during the season.
The sixth-ranked Bulldoggs (16-10, 9-4) fell 2-0 at Lanier on Monday. The lone runs came on a two-run single by Jake Ludwig off Brady House in the bottom of the third. That was enough support for Longhorn starter Zach Murray, who went the distance and surrendered just five hits while walking one and fanning seven. House gave up just four hits and struck out a pair while throwing six innings for the Bulldoggs.
Winder-Barrow had a chance to rally in the top of the seventh when Trevor Maddox hit a one-out double, but a line drive by House was snagged by second baseman Sergio Vargas, who flipped to shortstop Jadyn Jackson to double off Maddox and end the game.
As long as the Bulldoggs finish at least tied with Gainesville in the final standings, they will win their second straight region title. The Bulldoggs were scheduled to host Lanier in the second game of the series at 5:55 p.m. Wednesday and will then be back on the road Friday at 5:55 p.m. They can clinch the title Wednesday with a win and another Apalachee win. Just one win over the Longhorns will at least allow the Bulldoggs to host the first round of the state playoffs, which begin April 26. Winder-Barrow wraps up its regular season Saturday with a non-region game at Heritage-Conyers at 1 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats will be looking to play spoiler over the final two games Wednesday and Friday.
“That’s our goal,” Bailey said. “We’re going to give them our best shot, and win or lose, we’re going to play the game the right way and hold our heads high.”
Soccer: Lady Wildcats beat Winder-Barrow, lock up No. 2 playoff seed
The Apalachee girls soccer team will host a state playoff match for the first time in program history.
The Lady Wildcats locked up the No. 2 seed in GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA Friday with a 1-0 road win at county rival Winder-Barrow on Friday.
Apalachee (11-3-1, 7-3 region) got its lone score on an own goal by Winder-Barrow with just over 10 minutes left in the first half. The Lady Wildcats had several more shots on goal, but some just missed and others were denied by Lady Bulldogg goalkeeper Payton Babb.
Apalachee will host the No. 3 seed from Region 7 in the first round on April 24. First, the Lady Wildcats will get a stiff non-region test Tuesday when they host undefeated Flowery Branch in their regular-season finale.
The Lady Bulldoggs (4-12, 1-9) will wrap up their season Friday when they host North Oconee in a non-region contest.
See more in next week's edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
The Lady Wildcats locked up the No. 2 seed in GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA Friday with a 1-0 road win at county rival Winder-Barrow on Friday.
Apalachee (11-3-1, 7-3 region) got its lone score on an own goal by Winder-Barrow with just over 10 minutes left in the first half. The Lady Wildcats had several more shots on goal, but some just missed and others were denied by Lady Bulldogg goalkeeper Payton Babb.
Apalachee will host the No. 3 seed from Region 7 in the first round on April 24. First, the Lady Wildcats will get a stiff non-region test Tuesday when they host undefeated Flowery Branch in their regular-season finale.
The Lady Bulldoggs (4-12, 1-9) will wrap up their season Friday when they host North Oconee in a non-region contest.
See more in next week's edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Baseball: Apalachee knocks off Winder-Barrow in eight innings
For just the fifth time in 28 tries, the Apalachee baseball team beat crosstown rival Winder-Barrow on Wednesday, scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to earn a much-needed 5-4 victory in the second game of a three-game GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA series.
The win gives the Wildcats a single-season school record 14.
After Winder-Barrow grabbed a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by Blake Friend, the Wildcats came roaring back. DJ Smith led off with a walk against Hunter Marsh and Dawson Matherly followed with a double that plated Smith to tie the game. Alex Cook advanced pinch runner Joey Salvaggio to third on a ground out. Then, Alecsi Lopez hit a ground ball to second base and Salvaggio beat Trevor Maddox's throw home to give the Wildcats the win.
Apalachee (14-10, 3-8 region) moved into a fifth-place tie with Habersham Central and within one game of fourth-place Dacula for the final state playoff spot. The Bulldoggs (15-9, 8-3) are now in a first-place tie with Gainesville but hold the tie-breaker over the Red Elephants.
The series between the Wildcats and Bulldoggs wraps up at 5:55 p.m. Friday at Winder-Barrow.
The win gives the Wildcats a single-season school record 14.
After Winder-Barrow grabbed a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by Blake Friend, the Wildcats came roaring back. DJ Smith led off with a walk against Hunter Marsh and Dawson Matherly followed with a double that plated Smith to tie the game. Alex Cook advanced pinch runner Joey Salvaggio to third on a ground out. Then, Alecsi Lopez hit a ground ball to second base and Salvaggio beat Trevor Maddox's throw home to give the Wildcats the win.
Apalachee (14-10, 3-8 region) moved into a fifth-place tie with Habersham Central and within one game of fourth-place Dacula for the final state playoff spot. The Bulldoggs (15-9, 8-3) are now in a first-place tie with Gainesville but hold the tie-breaker over the Red Elephants.
The series between the Wildcats and Bulldoggs wraps up at 5:55 p.m. Friday at Winder-Barrow.
Soccer: AHS teams knock off Madison County
The Apalachee girls’ soccer team may have overlooked their opponent Tuesday night with rival Winder-Barrow coming up. But they narrowly squeaked out the non-region victory over Madison County with a goal in the 79th minute by Ashley Oldroyd to win 3-2.
The Lady Wildcats controlled the ball for most of the match, but they couldn’t find the net until the 50th minute. By then they had already allowed the Lady Red Raiders to score one goal right after halftime. The equalizer was a straight-ahead, inside shot by Alayna Stephens.
The match wasn’t tied for long, however. Just six minutes later, Scrappy Hale lofted the ball over the keeper and under the cross bar to give Apalachee a 2-1 lead. Madison County didn’t go away, though, and found a tying goal at the 65th minute off a corner kick.
The match remained tied and for a while leaned in Madison County’s favor. But Apalachee cranked up its attack in the final five minutes and eventually found Oldroyd in the box for an open shot with just seconds remaining.
Apalachee (10-3-1, 6-3 GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA) will play its region finale Friday at Winder-Barrow at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Wildcats can clinch the No. 2 seed for the state playoffs with a win or a Lanier loss to Gainesville.
AHS boys dominate 4-0
In the boys’ match, Madison County jumped on Apalachee in the opening 15 minutes, but the Wildcats withstood the attack without allowing a goal and responded with a 65-minute onslaught that produced four goals and a shutout victory.
The closest Madison County came to scoring was on a corner kick early in the match. One of their strikers headed the ball towards the goal but it ricocheted off the cross bar and away from the goal. The Wildcats took over from there and finally broke through with a goal by Jorge Bazan in the 25th minute. Chris Godinez added another goal in the 31st minute when he caught the keeper too far away from the goal.
The Wildcats added likely the easiest goal in school history at the 39th minute when the ball bounced towards Madison County’s goal with no Apalachee players around. One of the Red Raider defenders headed the ball back to his keeper who didn’t expect a header and let the ball go by him for an own goal. That gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead, which they extended to 4-0 at the 64th minute.
The Wildcats, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention, are now 6-9 and will visit Winder-Barrow at 7:30 p.m. Friday before wrapping up their season Monday at home against Flowery Branch.
The Lady Wildcats controlled the ball for most of the match, but they couldn’t find the net until the 50th minute. By then they had already allowed the Lady Red Raiders to score one goal right after halftime. The equalizer was a straight-ahead, inside shot by Alayna Stephens.
The match wasn’t tied for long, however. Just six minutes later, Scrappy Hale lofted the ball over the keeper and under the cross bar to give Apalachee a 2-1 lead. Madison County didn’t go away, though, and found a tying goal at the 65th minute off a corner kick.
The match remained tied and for a while leaned in Madison County’s favor. But Apalachee cranked up its attack in the final five minutes and eventually found Oldroyd in the box for an open shot with just seconds remaining.
Apalachee (10-3-1, 6-3 GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA) will play its region finale Friday at Winder-Barrow at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Wildcats can clinch the No. 2 seed for the state playoffs with a win or a Lanier loss to Gainesville.
AHS boys dominate 4-0
In the boys’ match, Madison County jumped on Apalachee in the opening 15 minutes, but the Wildcats withstood the attack without allowing a goal and responded with a 65-minute onslaught that produced four goals and a shutout victory.
The closest Madison County came to scoring was on a corner kick early in the match. One of their strikers headed the ball towards the goal but it ricocheted off the cross bar and away from the goal. The Wildcats took over from there and finally broke through with a goal by Jorge Bazan in the 25th minute. Chris Godinez added another goal in the 31st minute when he caught the keeper too far away from the goal.
The Wildcats added likely the easiest goal in school history at the 39th minute when the ball bounced towards Madison County’s goal with no Apalachee players around. One of the Red Raider defenders headed the ball back to his keeper who didn’t expect a header and let the ball go by him for an own goal. That gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead, which they extended to 4-0 at the 64th minute.
The Wildcats, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention, are now 6-9 and will visit Winder-Barrow at 7:30 p.m. Friday before wrapping up their season Monday at home against Flowery Branch.
Track and Field: AHS girls, WBHS boys win at Best of Barrow
The results were mixed Tuesday as the Apalachee girls and Winder-Barrow boys track and field teams prevailed in the annual Best of Barrow meet at W. Clair Harris Stadium.
The Lady Wildcats dominated most of the action, sweeping the running events en route to a 97-38 win.
Tahlia Ferguson won both the 200-meter run (26.03 seconds) and 400-meter run (1:03.13), Molly Silva won the 1,600-meter run (6:18.90) and 3,200-meter run (14:15.08), and Joanna Gross won both the 100-meter hurdles (18.19 seconds) and 300-meter hurdles (52.08).
Samira Barnett took first in the 100-meter dash (12.74 seconds), Dayshabel Bello-Cabrera won the 800-meter run (2:47.95), and the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams of Destiny Gibbs, Sierra Barnett, Ferguson and Gross won with times of 49.03 seconds and 4:32.69 respectively.
The Barnett sisters were also strong in field events as Samira won the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and Sierra took first in the long jump (16 feet, 3 inches). Aniah Wooten picked up the win for Apalachee in the triple jump (32 feet, 5 inches) and Nakia Hooks won the shot put (35 feet, 2.5 inches).
The Lady Bulldoggs’ wins came from Breanna McNamara in the pole vault (10 feet, 6 inches) and Rebekah Freeman in the discus (96 feet, 9 inches).
The boys’ meet was more evenly split with Winder-Barrow prevailing 78-58.
Jaidon Turner was a big star for Winder-Barrow, winning both the long jump (20 feet, 10 inches) and triple jump (42 feet, 8 inches) and running the third leg on the first-place 4x100-meter relay team with Aiden Smith, Brandon Bogany and Lamonta Mack (44.25 seconds).
Logan Cash won both the shot put (49 feet, 5 inches) and discus (156 feet, 9 inches).
In other running events, Winder-Barrow got wins from Jesany Kasongo in the 100-meter dash (11.53 seconds), Djangmah Narhmartey in the 800-meter run (2:14.86), Manuv Datta in the 1,600-meter run (5:11.86) and Mason Ayer in the 3,200-meter run (11:01.68).
For Apalachee, Malik Wiggins broke the school record as he won the high jump (6 feet, 7 inches). Kevin Haley won both the 200-meter dash (22.72 seconds) and 400-meter dash (51.78).
Nick Rodriguez won the 110-meter hurdles (16.92 seconds), Tauheed Ferguson with the 300-meter hurdles (42.16), and the 4x400-meter relay team of Adarius Andrews, Christian Porterfield, Haley and AJ Millbrooks also won (3:37.90).
Gordon Keadle took first in the pole vault (12 feet, 6 inches).
Both schools will compete Tuesday through Thursday, April 17-19, in the GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA championship meet at Apalachee.
The meet will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday with all running event prelims and the 1,600-meter final. The field event prelims and finals will be held Wednesday, starting at 2 p.m., and the remainder of the running event finals will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday.
The Lady Wildcats dominated most of the action, sweeping the running events en route to a 97-38 win.
Tahlia Ferguson won both the 200-meter run (26.03 seconds) and 400-meter run (1:03.13), Molly Silva won the 1,600-meter run (6:18.90) and 3,200-meter run (14:15.08), and Joanna Gross won both the 100-meter hurdles (18.19 seconds) and 300-meter hurdles (52.08).
Samira Barnett took first in the 100-meter dash (12.74 seconds), Dayshabel Bello-Cabrera won the 800-meter run (2:47.95), and the 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams of Destiny Gibbs, Sierra Barnett, Ferguson and Gross won with times of 49.03 seconds and 4:32.69 respectively.
The Barnett sisters were also strong in field events as Samira won the high jump (4 feet, 10 inches) and Sierra took first in the long jump (16 feet, 3 inches). Aniah Wooten picked up the win for Apalachee in the triple jump (32 feet, 5 inches) and Nakia Hooks won the shot put (35 feet, 2.5 inches).
The Lady Bulldoggs’ wins came from Breanna McNamara in the pole vault (10 feet, 6 inches) and Rebekah Freeman in the discus (96 feet, 9 inches).
The boys’ meet was more evenly split with Winder-Barrow prevailing 78-58.
Jaidon Turner was a big star for Winder-Barrow, winning both the long jump (20 feet, 10 inches) and triple jump (42 feet, 8 inches) and running the third leg on the first-place 4x100-meter relay team with Aiden Smith, Brandon Bogany and Lamonta Mack (44.25 seconds).
Logan Cash won both the shot put (49 feet, 5 inches) and discus (156 feet, 9 inches).
In other running events, Winder-Barrow got wins from Jesany Kasongo in the 100-meter dash (11.53 seconds), Djangmah Narhmartey in the 800-meter run (2:14.86), Manuv Datta in the 1,600-meter run (5:11.86) and Mason Ayer in the 3,200-meter run (11:01.68).
For Apalachee, Malik Wiggins broke the school record as he won the high jump (6 feet, 7 inches). Kevin Haley won both the 200-meter dash (22.72 seconds) and 400-meter dash (51.78).
Nick Rodriguez won the 110-meter hurdles (16.92 seconds), Tauheed Ferguson with the 300-meter hurdles (42.16), and the 4x400-meter relay team of Adarius Andrews, Christian Porterfield, Haley and AJ Millbrooks also won (3:37.90).
Gordon Keadle took first in the pole vault (12 feet, 6 inches).
Both schools will compete Tuesday through Thursday, April 17-19, in the GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA championship meet at Apalachee.
The meet will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday with all running event prelims and the 1,600-meter final. The field event prelims and finals will be held Wednesday, starting at 2 p.m., and the remainder of the running event finals will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Baseball: Wildcats drop sixth straight with 8-2 loss to Dacula
The Apalachee baseball team’s first slump of the season has come at the most inopportune of times.
The Wildcats dropped their sixth straight contest Monday afternoon, falling 8-2 at home to Dacula in the first of a three-game GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA series, and are now in desperate need of a couple of wins to stay in state playoff contention.
It was another painful loss for the Wildcats, who were coming off a tough series last week against Lanier in which they were swept. Apalachee is now 12-8 overall and 1-6 in region play.
“The scoreboard is not really showing the tale of what’s going on, on the field,” Apalachee coach Allan Bailey said after Monday’s loss. “The frustrating part is we’re hitting a lot of balls hard that are getting caught and we just can’t seem to get that bounce that we need to get us going.
“We’re hanging in there. We’ve just got to make a few more defensive plays and do a few small things better. For us to win, we have to be good in all three phases.”
See more in the April 4 edition of the Barrow News-Journal.
Soccer: Lady Wildcats earn much-needed region win over Habersham Central, boys lose in overtime
Needing a region win to help their chances of hosting an opening round state playoff match, the Apalachee High School Lady Wildcats soccer team got just what the doctor ordered last Thursday with a 2-0 win against visiting Habersham Central High School.
The win, coupled with Dacula’s victory against Lanier, means AHS has a chance to be the No. 2 seed out of GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA, provided it takes care of business against Winder-Barrow High School on April 13.
The win against Habersham Central improved the Lady Wildcats to 6-3 in region play and 9-3-1 overall.
“We needed it to stay in contention for hosting at state,” Apalachee coach Scott Bates said. “We knew what to expect. Habersham Central is an improved team. This was not a glamorous win. Not allowing a goal helped us and adding a goal in the second half also helped us when it comes to our tie-breaker scenario.”
Dacula’s 4-1 win against Lanier last week also helped Apalachee’s cause for being the No. 2 seed.
In the match with Habersham Central, senior Sarah Currey stretched the lead to 2-0 with a goal with 37:06 remaining in the match. That goal gave the Lady Wildcats some needed breathing room after a defensive battle in the first 40 minutes.
The Lady Wildcats held a 1-0 advantage at halftime. Erin Allen just missed adding a second goal with four minutes remaining before halftime.
Emily Brooks secured the halftime lead with a save with 50 seconds left on the clock. Brooks, who had been a standout in goal all season, recorded several more saves in the second half.
Scrappy Hale put the first goal of the match on the board with 29:29 left in the first half off an assist from Ashley Oldroyd.
AHS will return from spring break with a non-region match on Tuesday against Madison County for senior night at 5:30 p.m.
It will be the match with WBHS, however, which will be vital to the Lady Wildcats.
“Regardless of how many region wins Winder has, they are going to be ready to play us,” Bates said. “We will have to be ready to play our best in order to defeat them. That match will be very important for us and Winder is going to know that.”
AHS BOYS
LOSE IN OT
The Apalachee boys team was playing for pride last Thursday night against Habersham Central in region action.
As it turned out, a tough defensive effort by the visiting Raiders, as well as a monsoon in the second half, proved to more of a factor than the Wildcat pride.
Habersham Central took a 1-0 win in overtime leaving AHS with yet another tough, close region loss. The game, in many aspects, summed up the 2018 season for coach Chad Hooper’s team.
“The last time we played them, we trailed by four at halftime,” the coach said. “We stepped up our play this time. Injuries have just taken their toll on us, really after our game against Chestatee. Since then we have been down three starters, including our goalie.”
The Wildcats (5-9, 1-8 GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA), who had already been officially eliminated from postseason contention, are now on spring break and will return to action next week.
The teams were scoreless in the first half with neither putting together many scoring threats. Neither team managed to score in the second 40 minutes either.
Once overtime began, a massive downpour opened up and eventually caused a 35-minute delay when lightning occurred. Habersham Central would eventually win on penalty kicks when play resumed.
“It has not been a good year as far as what I expected in terms of our talent,” Hooper said. “However, we have never had to deal with this many injuries. We have had to move players around and that messes with your chemistry.”
AHS will return to action on Tuesday against Madison County High School for senior night and will then face region and county rival Winder-Barrow High School on April 13 on the road. Both matches begin at 7:30 p.m.
The Wildcats are scheduled to close out the season April 16 at home against Flowery Branch.
Hooper noted both Madison County and WBHS will be tough matches.
“They are not going to be easy,” Hooper said. “It will be tough against Winder, especially at their place. We still want to close the season out strong. Right now, we only have five wins and in my 12 years at Apalachee, we have never finished with that few wins in a season.”
The win, coupled with Dacula’s victory against Lanier, means AHS has a chance to be the No. 2 seed out of GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA, provided it takes care of business against Winder-Barrow High School on April 13.
The win against Habersham Central improved the Lady Wildcats to 6-3 in region play and 9-3-1 overall.
“We needed it to stay in contention for hosting at state,” Apalachee coach Scott Bates said. “We knew what to expect. Habersham Central is an improved team. This was not a glamorous win. Not allowing a goal helped us and adding a goal in the second half also helped us when it comes to our tie-breaker scenario.”
Dacula’s 4-1 win against Lanier last week also helped Apalachee’s cause for being the No. 2 seed.
In the match with Habersham Central, senior Sarah Currey stretched the lead to 2-0 with a goal with 37:06 remaining in the match. That goal gave the Lady Wildcats some needed breathing room after a defensive battle in the first 40 minutes.
The Lady Wildcats held a 1-0 advantage at halftime. Erin Allen just missed adding a second goal with four minutes remaining before halftime.
Emily Brooks secured the halftime lead with a save with 50 seconds left on the clock. Brooks, who had been a standout in goal all season, recorded several more saves in the second half.
Scrappy Hale put the first goal of the match on the board with 29:29 left in the first half off an assist from Ashley Oldroyd.
AHS will return from spring break with a non-region match on Tuesday against Madison County for senior night at 5:30 p.m.
It will be the match with WBHS, however, which will be vital to the Lady Wildcats.
“Regardless of how many region wins Winder has, they are going to be ready to play us,” Bates said. “We will have to be ready to play our best in order to defeat them. That match will be very important for us and Winder is going to know that.”
AHS BOYS
LOSE IN OT
The Apalachee boys team was playing for pride last Thursday night against Habersham Central in region action.
As it turned out, a tough defensive effort by the visiting Raiders, as well as a monsoon in the second half, proved to more of a factor than the Wildcat pride.
Habersham Central took a 1-0 win in overtime leaving AHS with yet another tough, close region loss. The game, in many aspects, summed up the 2018 season for coach Chad Hooper’s team.
“The last time we played them, we trailed by four at halftime,” the coach said. “We stepped up our play this time. Injuries have just taken their toll on us, really after our game against Chestatee. Since then we have been down three starters, including our goalie.”
The Wildcats (5-9, 1-8 GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA), who had already been officially eliminated from postseason contention, are now on spring break and will return to action next week.
The teams were scoreless in the first half with neither putting together many scoring threats. Neither team managed to score in the second 40 minutes either.
Once overtime began, a massive downpour opened up and eventually caused a 35-minute delay when lightning occurred. Habersham Central would eventually win on penalty kicks when play resumed.
“It has not been a good year as far as what I expected in terms of our talent,” Hooper said. “However, we have never had to deal with this many injuries. We have had to move players around and that messes with your chemistry.”
AHS will return to action on Tuesday against Madison County High School for senior night and will then face region and county rival Winder-Barrow High School on April 13 on the road. Both matches begin at 7:30 p.m.
The Wildcats are scheduled to close out the season April 16 at home against Flowery Branch.
Hooper noted both Madison County and WBHS will be tough matches.
“They are not going to be easy,” Hooper said. “It will be tough against Winder, especially at their place. We still want to close the season out strong. Right now, we only have five wins and in my 12 years at Apalachee, we have never finished with that few wins in a season.”
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